Three months and a few days after my last post, I am back here on the blog. I have to take a short break because last September, I took a new role as a mother. My life has been a roller coaster of everything in the most wonderful sense ever since. I have so much to share about my pregnancy and the delivery of my precious one but those deserve posts of their own so for now, let me share with you my thoughts on the products I tested and used months before I gave birth. There's a lot, actually!

Earlier this year, Revlon released its latest line of lipsticks - the Revlon Ultra HD Gel Lipcolor. Right off the bat, these lipsticks look and feel different. It is housed in an unusual slim, retractable tube packaging which has a clear cap that easily shows the color of the lipstick inside. The color of the tube resembles the actual shade of the lipstick which is a great add too.

According to Revlon's website, the Ultra HD Gel Lipstick features ultrahydrating formula with hyaluronic acid and vibrant color pigments in 15 high definition shades. Revlon Philippines is generous enough to send me 5 shades to try. I got the shades Desert, Arabica, Sunset, Tropical and Rhubarb which has a good set from nude to red.

The formula of these lipsticks is amazing. It is so moisturizing that I no longer need a lipbalm under it to prep my exremely dry lips with. It glides smoothly leaving a superb pigmentation. It appears a bit sheer though, so layering it is a must to achieve an opaque finish.

Since it is on the balmy side and it does not completely dry on the lips, expect that it transfers. But no need to fret as it leaves a nice looking tint once it starts to wear off.

715 Arabica is a gorgeous brown shade that is not that overwhelming to wear.

725 Sunset gives a beautiful coral-red shade.

730 Tropical looks Barbie pink on me. I like how it instantly gives me then pregnant face that Wow! feel.

745 Rhubarb is a wearable red that will sure look good on any occasion.

Though I like how it feels on the lips, I noticed that there are shades that appear patchy upon application. The shade Arabica is too sheer and balmy that it appears uneven on my lips. Also, the transferring can be battled by putting on a lipliner underneath the lipstick. This would keep the color longer and make it look more vibrant.

The downside? The price, Php575.00, is a bit steep for 1.7grams of the product. There are other lipsticks in the market that can probably do the same in the same price (or maybe cheaper) with a lot more product. But if you wouldn't mind the price for the hydration and moisturization it gives the lips, then the Revlon Ultra HD Gel Lipcolor is a good buy.

Have you tried the Revlon Ultra HD Gel Lipcolor? Share with me your thoughts about it!

Love,

♥ Jes ♥

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This question baffled me for the longest time until I decided to research on it. Being a non-professional in the field is disadvantageous when it comes to terminologies, I tell you. All I knew before was that they do the same thing -- accentuate the highest points of the face. So after thorough research (Thanks, Google!), I found out that yes, they are the same at one point. They both accentuate the highest points of the face - the tops of the cheekbones, the brow bones, the cupid's bow, the bridge of the nose, and the chin - using a highlighting/illuminating product. The main difference comes on how to do it. Highlight is paired with contouring (Yup, they go hand in hand!) while strobing flies solo.

Quite a learning, huh? But for now, let us put the focus on strobing. Strobing only uses light to enhance the face. No contour, no bronzer. Just the play of illuminating products that mimics what is to be under flattering lights. Personally, I haven't done it until I had my hands on Maybelline Master Strobing Stick Illuminating Highlighter.

The Maybelline Master Strobing Stick is housed in a twist-up tube. There are 2 shades available locally - Nude and Pink. What I have is Nude, a warm champagne shade that looks good on almost any skin tone.

Since it is on a twist-up stick form, it is very easy to use. Just twist it up and apply in on areas that you want to highlight.

One, soft swipe

The creamy formula rich with micro-fine pearls gives the skin the illuminated look, as if lit from within. Since my huge face cannot completely ditch contouring, I tried to be subtle when I first used the Maybelline Master Strobing Stick to see how strobing fares on me.

Looking at the above photo, a swipe of the Maybelline Master Strobing Stick on my cheekbone made my skin look glowing and well, highlighted. Take note that though you can just easily swipe it on targeted areas, you still have to blend it. Unless, you want that stick-straight glow on your face. I noticed that the warmth of the fingers helps in blending it to the skin and that brushes/sponges just tend to swipe it off.

It stays for a good 3-4 hours on the face. Not that longlasting but since it is conveniently packaged in a stick form, you can just reapply whenever and wherever you want to.

The only caveat (for me, at least) is that it has the tendency to ruin an already set foundation. This only happens when you apply it, with a heavy hand, on the face. Though it is creamy, it being swiped directly on the face can remove the foundation on the targeted area. This doesn't happen always but has the possibility to happen. What I do is to swirl my ring finger on the product and use it to apply on my face. It works, always. :)

As a beauty blogger , I am somehow bound to try different products so I can share my thoughts about it to my friends, blog readers, and social media followers. Despite the number of products I am blessed to try and use, I still end up playing favorites. Once a product makes into my beauty book, a.k.a. favorites' list, expect me to continuously repurchase it. Yes, I would still try products of the same kind bit would be hard to kick a favorite out of its pedestal.

Honestly, when I met my HG eyeliner more than 5 years ago, I became apprehensive in trying new ones. Will this one stay on my lids for a long time? Is this pigmented? Is this easy to use? Is this easy to remove? Yup, those are the things I am looking for an eyeliner. Now, let us see if the L'Oreal Super Liner Super Star Duo Designer (Php 400.00) make it to those criteria.

I got this eyeliner as part of a PR kit sent by L'Oreal a few months back. Though I am a bit familiar on how L'Oreal eyeliner works, this did not excite me that much.

There's nothing fancy about it - is a dual-ended liner with a liquid liner on one end and a pencil on the other. They swatch decently though I wish the pencil gives a more intensed, black pigmentation.

So what made me excited to try this? It was the recent video of Em Cosmetics comparing a felt tip liner with a brush tip liner. In the video, Michelle Phan mentioned that felt tip liners give an intense pigmentation in one swipe and are easier to control.

True enough, the liquid part of the L'Oreal Super Liner Super Star Duo Designer gives an opaque black color in one swipe. It dries fast with a demi-matte finish. When swatched on hands, the liquid formula seeps through the fine lines but don't worry as it goes flat and smooth on the eyelids. It stays on for hours but gets easily rubbed off on the outer corners of the eyes, especially if oil builds up easily on that area.

Unfortunately, the pencil end does not work as good. It barely shows on me lids despite the number of swipes I do. I tried tightlining with it but I ended up with a tugged eyelids. It barely shows up on my the lower lash line too.

Since I don't want it to be put to waste, I use it on my brows. It works great on making my barely-there brows look a bit fuller by mimicking brow hairs.

Its jet black color and intense pigmentation works great on concealing the glued edges of the false eyeslashes. I'll keep this for that purpose, honestly.

I like the L'Oreal Super Liner Super Star Duo Designer but I don't think I will repurchase it. Just add a few more hundreds and you can get yourself an eyeliner that will sure work wonders. I am more than willing to give you some recommendations. :)

There you go, a come back makeup review. I need to fully utilize the short break I have from work so expect a few more posts lined up! What do you want me to do next? Comment below!

Love,

♥ Jes ♥

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For questions, product reviews, advertisements and partnership, email me at e_jes1105@yahoo.com.

The cushion compacts have been a craze for while now but it took me a while to join the bandwagon. I have a few in my stash already but I never had that urge to write about it. Seriously, I am not that head over heels with it. I like it, yes, but what difference does it make? except that the product is in a cushion compact?

But summer changed everything, even my thoughts on cushion compacts. For some reasons, this season made me reach out more for my cushion compacts than anything else for base makeup. I hope to be able to share my thoughts on all that I have but for now, let me talk about the cushion that I reach out for the most - the Maybelline Super BB Fresh Matte Cushion.

*Click the photos for better quality.*

I got this as part of the kit sent to the members of the Maybelline Squad. Yes, I am part of the 20 beauty bloggers that make up the Maybelline Philippines Squad. Woohoo! With that, expect me to share with you fresh from the oven releases of Maybelline Philippines and there's a LOT, I tell you!

The Maybelline Super BB Fresh Matte Cushion has been out in the market for while now and it retails for Php 749.00 for 14g amount of product. Just like the usual cushion compacts, it is housed in a bulky compact with an air puff sponge. Side note: Make sure to add an air puff sponge in your makeup collection as it gives an effortless dewy-looking skin in almost an instant.

It is available in 2 shades: Light and Natural. I got the shade Natural which is a shade darker than my skintone. Though darker and a tad bit orange for me, it doesn't look that off on my skin and is still workable when blended properly.

I don't have much to cover on my skin except for the red areas here and there, some pimple marks and my well-loved dark undereyes. Below is how my skin looks with just a tinted sunblock (I use Belo SunExpert Tinted Sunblock). The imperfections have been more obvious without the sunblock.

In just one layer, the Maybelline Super BB Fresh Matte Cushion evens out my skin, even my undereyes, with its medium-high coverage. It also makes my skin look matte yet fresh. This cushion is perfect for our weather as it is very lightweight. Bonus, it protects the skin with SPF25 PA+!

Though it appears demi-matte on me, it doesn't cling on my dry patches. Actually, it makes my skin looks well-hydrated. It holds up for more than 6 hours on my skin with minimal fading on the sides of my nose and creasing on my smile lines.

I love the dewy-look it gives my skin so I don't set it with powder. But if your skin is more on the oily side, it would be best to lightly set it with powder as it can slide off your face given the intense heat and humidity we experiencing lately.

Since I don't usually set it with powder, I also use it to retouch on the areas that fade and crease. But thorough blending is needed to prevent it from looking cakey.

And with just a swipe of my favorite highlighter (Oh I have one from Maybelline too!), my fresh matte summer glow is achieved! I so love this cushion that it has been my go-to face makeup this summer. I couldn't think of anything I don't like about it. Maybe the shade? Yes, I'll get Light next time. :)

Hey hey! Yes, it has been a long time. As usual, I have the same excuse -- work, graduate studies, and life. And oh, I also just have embarked on a new journey which I will be sharing with you soon. I am just gathering the right words to say.

Anyway, April is my birthday month and in a few days time I will be turning 31. Woooo. 31! As of the moment, I still have no plans on that except to have a special dinner with my family to celebrate how the past years had been a great mix of living-worthy experiences. And how about sharing the blessings with you through a giveaway? What do you think? I also have vowed to revive my beauty blogger self with posts which I will be starting with this... in 1..2..3!

Ever since I learned how to properly do it on my face shape, contouring and highlighting have been essential in my makeup routine. Not just because it makes my huge face looks slimmer, it also adds dimension which makes the face look defined and well-sculpted. I have tried a number of products and still, I am accumulating some more to add in my stash. I have loved some and tossed out some too but for today, let me share with you my thoughts on a contouring palette that stayed in my stash and found its way to my everyday makeup kit.

I got the Sleek Face Form Contouring & Blush Palette (Php 875.00) last Christmas as a gift from my friend (and colleague), Kira of Elegantly Wasted. I have heard of how well this palette works but because of its price, which I know is not that steep for a palette that has 3 products inside, I still got a bit apprehensive in getting in for myself. Good thing, I have a friend who knows what heart and my face wants (or needs).

Sleek Face Form comes in Light, Fair and Medium. I have Fair which is perfect for those with light to medium skin tone. It comes with a contour, a highlight and blush which are all highly pigmented even in just one swipe.

Since these powders are pigmented, the key is to apply is with light hand and build the color only if needed.

The contour looks natural on my skin. It gives an illusion of defined cheekbones and straighter nose bridge without a hint of orange tones. Be careful on applying though, as it can look muddy when overdone. On the other hand, the highlight is shimmery but not glittery. It looks nice on the skin especially on the highest points of the cheek. And the blush, oh the blush! It is slightly similar to Nars Orgasm which gives the luminous, natural flush in just a few swipes.

Since the blush already has a hint of shimmer, I usually tone down on the highlighter to not make my face looks like a disco ball.

I only wish that the packaging, and all other Sleek black matte palettes, doesn't get dirty and scratched that easy.

Despite my issue on the packaging (which has no bearing anyway), I love the Sleek Face Form Contouring & Blush Palette. The pigmentation is on point and the staying powder is decent. It has gained a space in my everyday makeup kit for a reason and for sure, I will repurchase once I ran out.

BB creams were a hit a few years ago that almost all brands came out with their own version. I have tried a number, from different brands and of different types, and though there were some that I truly loved, the shade incompatibility of my skin and most BB creams has always been the problem. When my skin somehow regained its condition and going out with just layers of skincare again became possible, I forgot about my BB creams. But lately, I have been hooked once again. And now with something that matches my skin tone, inexpensive and from a local brand, Fashion 21.

The recent innovations in the beauty scene have been working on the advantage of makeup brands. They have been releasing revolutionary products and improving the formulation of their existing ones. Even the local brands are into upping their game while making sure that their products are still in the affordable price points. Just recently, Fashion 21 has released Ultimate Cover BB Cream + Concealer that claims to provide excellent coverage amidst the presence of sweat and humidity. It is sold for only Php225.00 with 20g of BB cream and 5.5g of concealer.

As its name implies, the Fashion 21 Ultimate Cover BB Cream + Concealer is a 2-in-1 product that has a BB cream in the squeeze-type tube and a concealer on the lid.

The tube has a small opening that limits the amount of product being dispensed.The product is quite thick so you really have to squeeze the tube to dispense it.

The concealer is placed on the lid part with a transparent screw-type cap covering it. I am not a fan of this part, seriously. I always end up damaging the concealer every time I put the cap back on.

There are 3 shades available -- light, mid, and dark. Though these shades would match a usual Filipina skin tone, some may still find the colors a bit off but workable.

If you would get all 3 shades, be careful with the shade names because they are just placed on by a sticker. Once removed, it'll be hard to identify the shades.

The BB cream and its corresponding concealer does have the exact same color. The concealer of shade 1 appears to be a tad lighter than its BB cream while those of shades 2 and 3 appear darker than their corresponding BB creams.

If I were just to choose one, I'll take shade 2 as its BB cream suits my skin pretty well. I'll use the concealer for spot concealing but I'll use a different one, in a much lighter shade, under my eyes and on the points I want to highlight. As you can see on the photo below, shade 2 works well in evening out my skin, especially the redness on the sides of my nose.

Since I was lucky to be sent all three shades, I use everything to achieve a perfect canvass. I even out my skin tone with BB Cream in Shade 2, conceal my undereyes and highlight my nose bridge, forehead and chin with the concealer in Shade 1, and contour with the concealer in Shade 3. You can also do the same with just the BB creams.

The Fashion 21 Ultimate Cover BB Cream + Concealer is armed with SPF30+ sun protection. It is easy to apply and blend and is very lightweight. True to its claim, it stays intact through sweat and oil. It sets into a dewy-matte finish which I totally dig. For those with oily skin, you might need to blot once in a while.

Currently, it is my go-to face makeup. I use the shade 2 all over my face and conceal with with concealer in shade 1. Once blended properly, this combination gives me a fresh and glowing base.

Seriously, I am surprised on how this product works well given that it is very inexpensive. Indeed a gem in the drugstore! Will I repurchase? Definitely! The way it performs is at par with those expensive ones!

Just for reference, this is how the BB cream in Shade 1 looks on me. Ang puti! :)

We have been so used with the usual formulations of lipsticks -- wax and liquid -- that we didn't even think that having it in a powder was possible. But yes, it is possible. A few months ago, L'Oreal introduces its very first powder lipstick in the beauty market, the L'Oreal Tint Caresse.

Dubbed as the future of lipstick, L'Oreal Tint Caresse gives the color of a traditional lipstick with the benefits of a powder. This innovation makes us say goodbye to the heavy feel, sticky finish, and smudges and stains of a usual lipstick.

Each pen-like tube comes with a sponge-tip applicator. The pointed design of the sponge helps in getting into the corners and grooves of the lips. The powder is housed in the other end of the tube and every time the sponge tip is pushed back to this end, it will up the right amount of product. Because it is a sponge, ensuring that it will stay dry is a must! This will prevent bacterial contamination and damage on the texture of the powder.

I have the shades Orchid Blossom, Tulip Blossom and Plum Blossom, which are just 3 out of the 8 shades available. Based on the swatches above, it does give a good color payoff. Mind you, those swatches were done with just one layer.

From left to right: Tulip Blossom, Orchid Blossom, Plum Blossom

Tulip Blossom is an orangey-nude shade. Unlike other orange lip colors, this suit me skin tone well. Orchid Blossom is a bright pink color with blue undertones. This shade is perfect if you need that extra pop on your makeup look. Plum Blossom appears more red than plum on my lips. Despite that, it is my favorite shade of the bunch! The blue undertone complements my skin very well and makes my teeth look whiter.

One layer on the lips will just give a stained, ombre look which others are totally digging. If you are up for an opaque color, a few layers are needed. Since it is in powder form, expect it to settle on the lines and somehow emphasize dry patches. Others may
find this a drawback but the lighweight feel and the almost
transfer-proof claims may change your mind. This formulation stays on the lips even after an oily meal and barely transfers. It doesn't apply that smooth because, hey, it is a powder.

I like to wear it as a solid color but here are few more ways to wear it:

as a mattifying powder -- Apply it on top of a satin or glossy lipstick, of the same or almost the same shade of course, then immediately transform it to matte finish.

as a color mix -- Use on top of any lipstick to create new shades.

Ombré -- Just dab on the inner part of the lips and blend away to create gradient effect.

as an eyeshadow or a blush -- It is powder, it will work! Just blend, blend, and blend!

The L'Oreal Tint Caresse is indeed revolutionary! It might not beat the traditional lipsticks but it has brought the same into a whole new level. Each tube costs only Php350.00 in all L'Oreal counters nationwide.

Love,

♥ Jes ♥

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Jes Roque

Educator ǀ Beauty Blogger ǀ Filipina

An educator by profession and a beauty enthusiast by choice, Jes shares her thoughts on beauty and all the love in between through MakeUpLove. Hop in and get a dose of reviews, tutorials, features, expressions, and love.

Contact

Email me at jes@jesroque.com or e_jes1105@yahoo.com for inquiries, product reviews, events, product launches, collaborations, sponsorship or just anything you want us to discuss.